Health Care

A recent study finds that hospitals in Monterey County are among the most expensive in the state. And, a proposed Trump Administration rule would give immigration officers more discretion to deny permanent residency to immigrants lawfully in the country who rely on public safety net benefits.

Parents are urging Pajaro Valley Unified School District to reconsider proposed layoffs and budget cuts. And, a new report shows California improving in prenatal care, but more work is needed on maternal mental health.

Some Mixtec farmworkers in Watsonville have trained as doulas to support other Indigenous women during pregnancy and childbirth. They want to offer physical and emotional support, and serve as translators during hospital visits.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office opens a new Re-Entry Resource Center in Salinas. And, a state law aims to expand birth centers after reporting from CalMatters found California lost close to 60 hospital maternity wards in the last decade.

In Santa Cruz, city voters have two competing housing affordability measures on their ballots—Measure B and Measure C. And, California will start selling its own insulin in January.

Thousands of people are expected to gather across the Monterey Bay Area Saturday as part of nationwide “No Kings” protests. And, with monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act plans set to increase soon, KAZU wants to hear from local residents who get health insurance through Covered California.

Local health providers are bracing for Medicaid cuts under the new federal spending law. They say the cuts will impact their ability to care for low-income patients, potentially leading to financial strain.

Local health providers are bracing for Medicaid cuts under the new federal spending law. And, Pajaro Valley Unified School District teachers have filed a lawsuit claiming that pesticides are harming children.

Civics and service learning are getting a boost in the region. Plus, local leaders are speaking out against health cuts in the recent federal tax and spending bill.

In today's newscast, multiple meetings about sections of the Coastal Rail Trail aiming to connect residents throughout Santa Cruz County are happening in Watsonville. And, California voters passed two laws to expand certain health insurance coverage plans to include in vitro fertilization and hearing aids for children. Now, the state needs approval from the federal government to make that happen.